


System Reboot

by Koofins



Series: Dark Tide [2]
Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Budding Love, Canon-Typical Violence, Comfort, Depression, Drama, F/F, F/M, Guilt, Hurt, M/M, One-Sided Attraction, Original Species, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Sci-Fi, Shapeshifting, Widowed, long fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-16
Updated: 2017-02-16
Packaged: 2018-09-24 20:44:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9785384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Koofins/pseuds/Koofins
Summary: Once an expecting mother and a wife, L'hana Prok is forced to take on the mantle of a Sith Acolyte. After losing everything, the prospect of leaving the galaxy without somehow becoming one with her family in the Force haunts her. It's the only thing that keeps her going. But maybe, just maybe, fate has plans for her.





	

**Author's Note:**

> The official beginning of L'hana's story! I'm really excited to share this with all of you; hopefully you'll enjoy this first part. It's sort of a crash-course into L'hana's origins, but by the next part, we'll be getting into the bulk of the Sith Warrior's main storyline. 'System Reboot' will cover both the Prologue and Chapter One.
> 
> Tissue can be found at the end of the chapter! <3

**Glossary:**  
_Tii'lean Words/Pronunciation:_  
Tii'le: _Tai-LEE._ The All-Syre. They who brought the Tii'lean into being  
L'hana: _Luh-HAH-nah_ , _Lah-nah_. First Daughter.  
Tii'aye: _Tee-AI-yeh_. Syre's Heart. The home planet of Tii'le, and the planet their children currently inhabit.  
Tii'zhu: _Tee-tsu_. Syre's Eye. The largest of Tii'aye's moons, and the only one capable of supporting an ecosystem. Home of The Emerald, an elite group of warriors renowned for their skill. Tii'aye's first line of defense.  
Tii'lean: _Tai-LEEN._ Tii'le's progeny, separated by many generations. A race of sentient humanoids with an abnormally strong connection to the Living Force  
Kiit'jii: _Kite-jeh._ Dear one.  
Jii: _Jeh._ Love.  
Je: _Gee_. Honored Mother, Sister, Etc. Female pronoun.  
\- - - - -

What I'm about to tell you is true. All of it.

Back when the Cold War first started, I was running around for the Cartel, doin' odd jobs. I was barely even fifteen, and I'd seen some shit. But the story, this whole long, drawn-out story I'm about to tell you, it's....

It ain't like anything I've ever even dreamed of.

The war wasn't easy. For any of us. The Republic's Jedi jewel taken, Sith crawlin' all over the place like ants....big, angry, lightsaber wielding ants....heroes from all sides disappearing and then coming back to fight this weird ultimate supreme overlord of evil guy.

The Republic and the Empire both tried to make those heroes disappear when it was 'convenient' for them. Better to sweep those that knew too much under the rug than to air out dirty secrets, right? And some of 'em came back, but others? Others disappeared again. But can you blame 'em?

I know I can't blame one of them. Hell, if anyone should be blamed, should be me, for getting her into all this mess....

But I've gotta tell you this whole crazy story because if I don't, she might be forgotten. Her family might be forgotten. Hell, her entire planet and people might be forgotten, lost to time. So when I'm done, tell this to your best story tellers. Get them to write it all....fancy-like, but not too fancy. Hana would kill me if it turned into some flowery bullshit.

It's gotta be real. Because it is real. _She_ was real.

So, I guess I'll start at the beginning. This is how I met L'hana Prok, an absolute angel plucked from the stars, that somehow wound up becoming The Emperor's Wrath, an Outlander...and one of the best friends I have in the entire galaxy.

It all started when I got caught by some Republic deserters, and they ran outta juice for their ship. That's when it all went to shit.

\- - - -

**Wild Space, 3643 BBY**

“In fury, there can be found unity. For passion helps us find calm. And through the discord of nature, we find our true form.”

“Again.”

The snap of frustration was there in her thoughts, and gone in an instant. _Inhale, exhale_.

“In fury, there can be found unity. For passion helps us find calm. And through the discord of nature, we find our true form.”

The call to repeat the words came again, and again, and steadily the ebb and flow seeped into her bones, until the chanting of their creed came as easily as breathing did. The gentle presence of another in her thoughts, her hopes and dreams did not disturb her; it flowed steadily downwards, down to the two points of light nestled just below her soul.

 _There_. Her children. Her twins.

They had finally taken Form.

The rush of pride and delight from the midwife signaled that she could begin building mental walls again, and she felt her presence slowly withdraw as the bricks came into place, and she was alone in her own thoughts again.

“They are healthy,” Shaa declared, smiling gently at her as she extended a hand. The expecting mother took it, and with a grunt, pushed herself to her feet. Instinctively her hand went to the small swell of her stomach, and the midwife chuckled warmly. “You will know their gender in a fortnight.”

“You couldn't sense it?” L'hana Zu'jii stared, wide-eyed at the older woman. Shaa shook her head, lifting a blue finger to her lips, which were curled knowingly. L'hana huffed and glanced down at her hand where it was still pressed, gently, to her belly. “I guess they'll figure it out on their own time.”

“Not long before they come into the world,” Shaa mused. L'hana followed the older woman out of the examination room, taking her arm in hand as they descended the stairs. Midwives, apprentices and patients came and went past them, casting warm smiles and exchanging short words of greeting or farewell. “Leon will be pleased.”

“He _has_ been pleased,” L'hana said, rolling her eyes with a grin. “That man has been stuffed full of his own ego from the day we decided.”

“'Tis not every day a man sews his seed for the first time,” Shaa pointed out. L'hana huffed, a blush rising to her cheeks, and Shaa laughed at her expense. “To feel young love's first blush again! Enjoy it, L'hana. Return to me in a fortnight, and we will go to the glade together. The joy in your mate's eyes when he has seen your children will make it well worth his swaggering.”

“Thank you, Shaa,” L'hana said, beaming with pride and affection at the midwife. She placed a kiss on the woman's forehead, a hand brushing fondly on one of her headtails. “You honor me.”

“It is rarer still that one of the warriors is blessed with time to get with child,” Shaa reasoned, reaching up and placing a hand on L'hana's cheek. It was rare that L'hana encountered a female with shorter stature than her own; though in Shaa's presence, she still felt as she did when she'd first come to this moon years ago: small, and weak in comparison. “And a blessing that one of the Emerald Warrior's own would be surprised with twins.” She pulled away, shooing her out the door. “ _Tii'lee coimha_ , L'hana.”

“ _Tii'lee coimha_ , Shaa' _je_ ,” L'hana replied.

The walk back to their family compound was not far. But it gave L'hana enough time to reflect, to think, fondly on her life.

The Emerald Moon, Tii'zhu, was home to a smaller pocket of Tii'leans than the planet the largest moon of four orbited. Tii'aye had been her birth planet, but she had been sent here at the tender age of four after the disappearance of her parents. In all the twenty-two years she'd lived there, she hadn't expected to become what she had, to do what she had done.

But in that time, she had been adopted into the Zu'jii clan; the largest clan that called Tii'zhu home, descendants of Tii'le's second. The Zu'jii clan had been the stewards of the moon, the ones who had tamed its wilds and kept them thriving, and built a home for themselves and the smaller clans centuries ago. Along with The Emerald, Tii'le's defenders and the last ones to speak with the Syre, the Zu'jii had built the first established colony within their small sector in over a millennia.

And she had chosen Leon, the future Patron of Zu'jii, as her mate. He had been the first to ask, offering to take her into his home and his soul permanently, and she had accepted. Though she had been raised beside him, they had always known it would be this way; they were lucky in that. Many went their entire lives without meeting their chosen, though it was inevitable they would meet them in another life, or that they had in a previous one.

She knew she was lucky that she had met Leon in this life. She knew this was her first, and though it had been a hard battle to win herself a place among the Emerald, she was fortunate that this life had panned out the way it had. A smile tugged at her features, and she stopped for a moment along the path to stare up into the forests' canopy stretching over the path. Lush gray bark limbs seemed to extend hands to one another, crossing in perfect asymmetry, dark blue-green leaves rustling out a peaceful song. The chill on the wind that caused them to sway gave hints to the winter ahead; L'hana was glad she would reach her final term before the thick of winter.

It was rare for a Tii'lean child to die due to the elements, though it made raising one somewhat difficult. Let alone two.

A sudden tone at her waist pulled her instantly out of her reverie. L'hana unclipped the holo communicator from her belt, frowning slightly as she opened the frequency. The first attempt did not work, though she was used to that; the device was old, much older than she was, and had gone through many repairs over the generations it had been passed down from one of the Emerald to the next. A quick smack with the meat of her palm got the old machinery working again, and the image of her Chief, Eeadh, leapt upwards from the center.

“All Emerald, report immediately to our compound.” A pause, and his bulbous eyes flicked upward. L'hana glanced up, once, twice, and nearly dropped the comm when she saw a streak of orange and red tearing across the sky. “Warriors and pages alike, report immediately. Unknown ship has been spotted and expected to crash on the surface. Chief Eeadh out.”

She broke out into a sprint as soon as the transmission cut off. Not long after, she heard a few others dashing along the path behind her, one of their fastest messengers passing her in a blur of gold. He would be headed to the farming compounds, then. One of her teachers caught up with her, craning his neck now and then to glance up at the sky.

“Where will it crash?” she asked the older man. Kai paused a moment, turning fully around to track it's path, and sucked in a harsh breath.

“Looks like it might land near the glade,” he grunted. L'hana felt alarm prick at her chest, her hand instinctively covering her gut as Kai caught up with her again. “I'm sorry, L'hana. Perhaps in light of your condition, it might be best if you remain in the compound.”

“Chief said _all_ Warriors and pages.” Her words came out harsher than she'd intended, but Kai didn't object to them; the Chief was understanding, but in cases of emergency, there was no time for exemptions. “Is your transport patched up after the mishap last week?”

“It better be,” Kai growled. L'hana laughed aloud despite the situation, though her laughter was choked off when the sound of an explosion broke out across the valley. Kai leaped towards her, shielding her when the first of the aftershocks quickly reached them; it was not a small ship, then, judging by how they both were nearly sent rolling down the side of the road by the sheer force of it. The alarm in her blood increased, and Kai broke apart from her with a sworn oath as they split ways to their respective compounds.

“L'hana!” Her mate's voice cut above the din of their own quickly darting all across the grounds, gathering supplies, weapons and their loved ones in preparation to go underground. Leon stopped short of running into her, though his arms closed around her when she paused. “One of the pages told me you'd all been summoned. Was that the impact we just felt?”

“Yes, jii,” L'hana said, clinging back to his broad, tall form for a moment. She pulled away from him, just far enough that their lips came together in a quick, hard kiss. When they came back for air, her fingers carded through his short, dark brown hair, and she allowed herself a moment to keep her eyes locked on his bright blue gaze. “I have to go.”

“Then I'll be with you.” His voice offered no hesitation, and L'hana sighed, knowing there would be no arguing with him. One of his broad hands hovered over the small of her back as she gathered her pack and bo staffs.

“Be careful,” she insisted. “Where is Reggie--”

“He's gone with his guard to meet them,” Leon explained. Their eyes met again as Leon climbed into the front seat of the transport Reggie had left behind. “Don't worry; he'll be fine. Not the first time he's dealt with strange ships crashing on Tii'zhu.”

Whatever amusement would have been exchanged over that sentiment was lost in the wave of tension L'hana felt. Leon felt it too, his eyes flicking out past the walls of the compound, and he helped her climb onto the speeder without another word.

This trip went much faster. Later, L'hana would regret that. She would regret ever going back to the compound. 

That regret manifested itself after they turned the bend of the path leading past the medic sect; the midwife's buildings had been reduced to nothing but rubble under a huge chunk of the strange ship. A cry left L'hana despite her training; Shaa was nowhere to be seen in the wreckage, and Leon didn't pause to give time for her to check. Though she knew it would help nothing, with the level of absolute damage, she could not hold back the twinge of anger she felt at being denied that.

But there was no time to hold onto it. As quickly as it came, she let it go, and allowed herself to sob out a prayer for the midwives and apprentices, their patients, visitors and guards, hoping that not all of them would be dead or suffer for very long.

A brief flash of the field separating the medic sect and the Emerald Compound was all that she had before they came upon the bulk of the crash.

The ship itself was massive, and L'hana knew that it would be decades before the wound the ships crash landing had torn into the surface would begin to heal. Triple the size of the Zu'jii compound, the silver sides of the ship were battered, deeply scarred from before the crash itself. Corners of the oval-shaped bulk of the ship glowed, still super heated from the sheer force of the fall through the atmosphere.

It had not taken long for those within the ship to pour out of it's wreckage. The bulk of them were humans, though she recognized the head-tails and lekku of some of the individuals. Their garb was bulky, white and blockish and accented with orange and reds. Many of them held weapons, not unlike the old trajectory shots that had long fell into disrepair well before she'd been born. Some held larger versions, giant black behemoths of machinery that seemed too big for some of them to hold.

For a long time, there was only silence, as Reggie's guards and the guards of the nearest compounds sized up the unwilling newcomers, and vice versa. Both sides shifted uncomfortably, and as Leon slowly slid off the bike, Reggie stepped forward.

“Who represents you?” The old Patron's voice was clear, booming out across the clearing and making some of the armored ones jump. A commotion near one of the gaping wounds in the ship's sides came, and out poured another two-dozen humans and humanoids, lighter dressed and not so heavily armed. They seemed to have no direction, stopping in between the bodies of those who were clearly soldiers and staring back at the ship. L'hana could smell the fear coming off of them, as all of her people no doubt could; the mutual tension they all felt could not be shaken. _Cornered animals are the most dangerous_ , L'hana thought as Leon helped her off the transport.

It wasn't until her feet touched down on the dirt that the last two figures dispersed from the ship. L'hana could scent from afar that many still were dead and dying in the ship, the latter likely too wounded to take off to greet the natives. The first, taller figure was a man in muted robes, hauling a smaller figure that looked about as threatening as a mouse.

“See where you've led us, thief?!” The robed man's words were harsh, and from the distance that separated them, she exchanged a glance with Reggie. Leon's father seemed about as confused and on edge as she felt, and they turned their attention back to the pair headed towards the front of the group of newcomers. 

With a grunt, the smaller of the two was thrown onto the path unceremoniously. His arms bound behind his back with a set of silver bands, something glowing between them that clearly kept him unable to use his arms. L'hana felt a twinge of sympathy and an instant wave of protectiveness to the second, who was clearly a much younger man, barely old enough to be out of adolescence. The purple bruise over one eye clashed with the bright red-orange shock of hair he sported, though the obvious beating he'd only recently received.

“Ain't my fault you can't listen to Basic, Jedi,” the boy spat out. The ripple of shock that went through both newcomers and natives was palpable. The one the youth called 'Jedi' seemed on the verge of throttling him, when Reggie stepped forward.

“Wait.” The robed man glanced up at her Patron, as did the younger man. “Did you say 'Jedi?'”

“Yeah,” the ginger haired youth said, eyeing Reggie. “What's it t'you?” Their Patron glanced at the crowd of his own, until his eyes finally landed on L'hana; she'd been taking stock, too, and had found that she was the only Warrior in the group. The Emerald had yet to arrive.

“The boy's lying,” the one called 'Jedi' shouted. L'hana began moving forward when he grabbed the youth by his torn, bloodied shirt, hauling him to his feet. “I'm no more a Jedi than any of these men and women he--” He stopped abruptly, his head snapping around to stare at her by the time she'd reached them. On closer inspection, the man didn't seem in any better a state than the boy did, though he hadn't been beaten recently.

“You're not a very good liar, Jedi,” L'hana pointed out. She kept her stance relaxed, though her heart was beating so hard and quick in her chest, she was sure it would break out of her ribcage. The older man eyed her, openly suspicious and trying to keep a straight face. “Let the boy alone. He's just as stuck as the rest of you are.” She stared pointedly at the ship, one of the broken wing constructs that looked about the size of the piece that had leveled the medic sect. A pang of grief so great it almost knocked the breath out of her seized her, and she struggled to keep it from showing in her voice. “And, as it would happen, a piece of your ship has taken out most of our healers, if not all of them. So not only are you stuck, you're all without healers that might help your wounded, and our own.”

“Sir,” one of the soldiers approached them, holding a holo that projected what appeared to be a chart of constellations. “This sector isn't showing up in our charts. None of it is. And this accent, I've never heard anything quite like it.”

“Nor I,” the Jedi said. He squinted at L'hana, and his suspicious thoughts began to probe at her. Unlike those of her people, they were more impressions rather than whispered words, blunt and clumsy like a child's. She flinched, and his eyes flashed some kind of a warning when he caught it. “Tell me, how is it this moon and it's planet aren't on any star charts, yet you know the Jedi and claim to sense them?”

“So you don't deny you're a Jedi?”

“Answer my question first.”

“You're really in no position to make any demands,” L'hana observed, raising an eyebrow. “But if you must know: we know of you because our people are capable of space travel. Our last exploration convoy returned five years ago.” She glanced at Reggie, who nodded minutely. “In another two years, we'll be sending out another group. They know of the Great War, and barely escaped it without getting us involved. Though it would seem we're not in the clear just yet.”

“So...you're not with the Republic?” The soldier asked her, his voice somehow hopeful.

“We stand with our own people,” L'hana answered, calmly. “We don't aim to cause any others harm, though we won't hesitate to defend ourselves. Your war means little to us.” She raised her eyebrows at the Jedi. “Though, if you've need of assistance back to your own territories, we might be able to lend a ship or two, after you've helped fix the damage that has been done to our own people.”

“No,” the Jedi said, quickly. Too quickly. That wasn't missed by her own, and L'hana felt alarm spike in her people. “We don't need help.” He licked his lips, shifting nervously where he stood, and she could see in the way his eyes flicked behind her that he was taking quick count of the group behind her. “We're...we're not going back.”

“...Sir?” The soldier at the Jedi's side sounded utterly confused, shocked. L'hana watched him closely, as he tried to make sense of the situation.

“If you wish to remain here, we must first gain permission from Tii'aye,” L'hana said slowly, taking a minute step away from the Jedi. Alarm bells began ringing loudly in her head, as the stench of desperation and fear choked her senses. “And as it is, there are already reasons we have not to allow you to stay here.”

“You don't understand,” the Jedi hissed. Without warning he was on her, one hand latching onto her tunic and hauling her up so his face dominated her vision. Sweat beaded on his brow, and she saw the bruise forming on his temple that had been hidden by dark, shaggy hair. “I betrayed them. I cannot go back. We cannot go back, or else face execution.”

“You face death by laying a hand on my wife,” Leon's voice came clearly behind her, and she jerked in the Jedi's hold. He dropped her like a hot stone, and she scrambled to her feet, her hand going instinctively to her stomach. A ripple of concerned and alarmed murmurs went throughout the strange group, and the Jedi's eyes widened. Before he had a chance to speak, Leon continued. “And I find it odd that a Jedi, who's Order is so staunchly allied with the Republic, does not wish to return to their fold.”

“You don't understand, simple fool,” the Jedi hissed, backing away from them quickly. His eyes flicked back and forth between her and Leon, who had come to stand beside her. Her husband placed a hand on her shoulder, and she felt a rush of strength from that simple touch. With a sweeping gesture, he extended his hand to the red-haired youth. A strange sound seemed to come from his palm, and energy crackled along her skin as the boy was pulled by some invisible force back into his hold. With a loud, abrupt hiss, the hilt she hadn't noticed he'd been holding erupted with light, and a green blade leaped from one end. He held the humming light to the boy's throat, keeping him aimed at her and Leon. “We aren't going back. I don't care what we have to do, we aren't going back.”

“They're starved,” Leon mumbled next to her. L'hana nearly jumped again with the realization that he was right. Their appearances were all gaunt, pale, those who were not armored wearing clothes that didn't fit them quite right. The glint in the Jedi's eyes was dangerous now, even without the weapon illuminating his and his prisoner's faces. “Tread carefully, _kiit'jii_ ,” Leon warned. “I doubt your staffs would stand a chance against the Jedi's saber.”

“Fighting won't do us any good at this point,” L'hana reasoned, squeezing her husband's fingers before she stepped forward. “Release him, and we will consider your terms.” She was bluffing. Long enough for the Emerald to arrive. Though they had no blasters, there were other ways of incapacitating the strangers. Though the Jedi would be tricky.

“I'll keep the boy, if it's all the same to you,” the Jedi said, narrowing his eyes at her. 

“Sir,” the soldier who was clearly the next in command after the Jedi hissed. “We'll need to get away from the ship soon. It's only a matter of time before it blows.”

“Silence,” the Jedi hissed.

“Dear me, looks like you're losin' it, Ratherion,” the prisoner mused. The Jedi hissed his displeasure.

Everything after that happened so fast, L'hana could barely keep track of it. Despite knowing that it was a futile attempt, when the Jedi drew back his blade with both hands gripping the hilt tightly, she dashed forward, both staffs in hand and at the ready. One of the soldiers let out a shout, and she felt an intense heat shoot past her, grazing her arm.

More shouts rang out, and L'hana shouldered the boy aside, ducking under the Jedi's swing, catching him in the gut with the bulk of her weight. He sprang away from her before they landed on the ground, sending her sprawling before she hopped up, angling her body to try and keep her stomach from his view or aim. Now crazed eyes narrowed, the Jedi roared out his anger, charging towards her with his saber canted to one side.

It was over in an instant. His skills were far different than her own, and she could barely predict any of his movements. The jagged sweep that nearly sliced off the right half of her face was what had her down, her staffs dropped as she reached up to cover the burning, agonizing wound, curling into a ball in the dirt.

She had just enough time to open her eye to see the Jedi standing over her, his blade poised, when her husband charged forward. Fear so great it kept her frozen on the earth filled her, as the Jedi squared up against Leon, who was armed with nothing but his fists.

He glanced back at her, and the moment seemed to stretch on for eternity. How she wished it could have. That moment was all the Jedi needed; when his dark blue eyes met her green, the Jedi was on him, and with deadly precision had cut her husband down.

The pain was terrible. Her arm hung uselessly at her side now, where the Jedi had tried to take advantage of the minor wound. And yet she stood, charging at the Jedi. Her vision went white, and the transformation took her, lengthening her teeth and jaws, turning fingernails into talons. The energy it took to change burned at her throat, and she bellowed out in pain as Fury took hold of her, and she sliced the Jedi's shocked expression to ribbons.

She gained no pleasure from it. When Fury took hold, there was only blind, animalistic rage. With his eyes blinded, she could go for the throat. One swipe, two, and he dodged her, but she did not relent. The change stretched the gouge over her eye, adding pain to her anger, making each strike frenzied. Without focus.

It gave him a window. One quick slice across her torso, shallow enough to make her stumble, and another low in her gut, deeper.

In an instant, her life was over. The Healers that had helped raise her, nursed her wounds as a child and during her training. The Emerald, who had joined the fight at last, but were being cut down like blades of grass.

Her husband. Her children.

It was all gone.

Before her vision went black, and she greeted her death, she saw the reddish shock of hair above her. Determined brown eyes, though for what, she was uncertain. She was dead. They were all dead.

It was over.

**Author's Note:**

> \---CONGRATULATIONS HERE'S YOUR FREE TISSUE BOX---


End file.
